More public servants stressed out: report

The study found public servants are more likely to suffer stress and exhaustion.

Getty Images, file photo

A new report suggests workers in the public sector are more stressed and exhausted than their peers in the private sector.

Australian researchers at the University of South Australia found that workers in the Australian Public Service (APS) are significantly more stressed while private sector workers suffer more from depression than their government sector colleagues.

For decades the number of stress claims in the public service have far outweighed those from private enterprise, the study questioned if such a result was because the public service was indeed a more stressful place to work or if the claims were just under-represented in the private sector.

Report author Tessa Bailey says the answer was a bit of both.

"There are higher levels of demand generally in the public sector," she said.

"Public sector workers are experiencing more work pressure, more emotional demands, more bullying, more harassment and more work-life conflict.

"But it's interesting that while there are similar levels of claims put forward for stress in both sectors it's actually in the public sector that you'll see a higher acceptance.

"Even that shows that there's differences maybe in the culture, policies and practices in the different sectors."

Ms Bailey says the results are especially worrying because that trend persisted despite the public sector throwing more resources at the problem.

"They (public servants) will receive significantly more levels of support, more ability to make decisions and use their discretion," she said.

"But those resources aren't enough to compensate for the demands they experience."

Ms Bailey says one possible reason is that the public service has more high-risk jobs.

"We would say that it is influenced by people in certain areas of health, education, corrections and policing," she said.

But she explains the real answer is more complicated.

"In the private sector there was more of a relationship with management," Ms Bailey said.

"That's because people in the private sector represent medium and smaller enterprise more so than in the public sector.

"Workers have a closer relationship with their manager and their mental health is more directly involved with their manager. Also the rewards they experience isn't just monetary, it's about appreciation."

Workplace costs

Stress and depression cost Australian workplaces millions of dollars every month and Ms Bailey says it is only getting worse.

"Stress claims are increasing in both sectors and the costs associated with them are also increasing," she said.

"Because of how much stress claims cost, if you can even reduce numbers by a few you can save significant amounts of money.

"Even mild [non-clinical] depression is costing employers millions in sickness absence, because the mildly depressed people are taking quite a lot of sick days."

Ms Bailey says she hopes the results will help managers in both sectors better focus their efforts to curb stress.

"Overall worker health is going to be effected by how much the workplace values their workers," she said.

"We do see claims as quite a lag indicator and what we were able to do is highlight some of the areas that are happening before the claim.

"It would be better to prevent claims occurring than actually trying to rehabilitate people."